ANNUAL REPORT 2018 1 Chairman’S Statement It Is Wonderful to Be Able to Report, Yet Again, on a Successful Year for Birdlife South Africa

BirdLife South Africa annualannual reportreport 20182018

Contents

2 chairman’s Statement

3 chief Executive Officer’sR eport

8 Looking Ahead

9 Strategic Framework

10 organisational Objectives

11 conservation Objectives

12 organisational Structure

13 division of Expenses and Sources of Funding

14 Business Division Reports

20 conservation Division Reports

30 Annual Review of the Performance and effectiveness of BirdLife South Africa

32 Financials

34 Sponsors and Supporters

36 office-bearers and Staff

Vision Mission BirdLife South Africa wishes to BirdLife South Africa strives to conserve birds, their habitats see a country and region where and biodiversity through scientifically-based programmes, nature and people live in greater through supporting the sustainable and equitable use of harmony, more equitably and natural resources and by encouraging people to enjoy and sustainably. value nature.

cover The African Black Oystercatcher was Bird of the Year in 2018 and BirdLife South Africa promoted awareness about this coastal seabird through a poster, learning resources, articles in African Birdlife magazine and posts on social media. (Photo: Peter Ryan)

left The Marsh Owl, an inhabitant of wetland and grassland, is almost certainly benefiting from BirdLife South Africa’s efforts to ensure the protection

chris van rooyen of these important habitats.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 1 Chairman’s Statement It is wonderful to be able to report, yet again, on a successful year for BirdLife South Africa. We have met, and exceeded, our targets in almost every area of endeavour, and this at a time of subdued economic activity and political uncertainty.

n 1996 the organisation underwent a metamorphosis of sorts when it signed up as a full member of BirdLife International. In 2008 the current Chief Executive Officer, Mark Anderson, was appointed to lead it. One of his first tasks was to assemble around him an Executive Committee (a de facto board) to assist him in the manage- Iment of BirdLife South Africa. Just over four years ago that committee morphed into a properly constituted Board of Directors. During the period of Mark’s stewardship the organisation has developed exponentially. We have forged and nurtured many important relationships, enhanced our brand, marketing and outreach, and established ourselves as a respected and successful conserva- ROB ASPELING (2) tion organisation. More specifically, in the year under review we have notched up numerous conservation successes. Our conservation staff are recognised as worldwide leaders in their respective fields of expertise. We have trained, and continue to train, community bird guides who contribute significantly to their clients’ birding experience, especially in rural areas. Our magazine, African Birdlife, is regarded as one of the leading bird and birding magazines on the planet. We have forged Our work is supported by an excellent and dedicated core staff without whom none of and nurtured our achievements would have been possible. And last but not least, we have again man- “ aged to disclose in our financial statements a modest surplus. many important Let me hasten to add that we do not take our recent and current success for granted. We could not have thrived without the generous and continuing encouragement of our relationships, many donors and friends, both personal and corporate, as well as the support of our enhanced our partners in the conservation field and BirdLife International and The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). brand, marketing At our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 11 May 2019 I shall step aside from the Board, having served my prescribed term of four years as Chairman. In doing so I express my and outreach, deep appreciation to my colleagues and to Mark Anderson and his team, with whom I and established have always had a wonderful relationship. ourselves as a respected and successful conservation Roger Wanless Chairman organisation ”

southern bald ibis MARTIN R. TAYLOR

2 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Chief Executive Officer’s Report The year 2018 was another very successful one for BirdLife South Africa and we made excellent progress in all aspects of our work. This report summarises briefly some of our most important achievements.

irdLife South Africa prides itself on its exceptionally good corporate governance. The Board of Directors met 10 times and the Audit & Risk Committee convened three times during 2018. In March, a very successful and well-attended AGM was held in Langebaan in the Western Cape. Board, organisation and conservation Breviews were undertaken and included in our 2017 Annual Report, and summaries were presented to members at the AGM. Roger Wanless’s four-year term as Chairman ends in May 2019 and I would like to express to him my sincerest appreciation for his leadership, commitment and hard work. We held a very rewarding and interactive annual staff meeting, which included report-backs and team-building exercises, as well as the soft-skills training that had been identified as advantageous during the skills audit. During the year BirdLife South Africa also undertook its first-ever job satisfaction questionnaire. We submitted our second Employment Equity report to the Department of Labour and, since the previous reporting period, increased African representation in the organisation by 20 per cent. During a visit by the Department of Labour, our Contracts of Employment and other documents required to be in place were inspected and we passed with flying colours. One of the main highlights of 2018 was ending the year with a small operating surplus, the ninth consecutive year we have done so. We are very grateful to our many donors, including our 39 Golden Bird Patrons who contributed a record R2-million of unrestricted funding to BirdLife South Africa in 2018. Our financial administration remains impeccable.

Species conservation With about 850 bird species in South Africa, of which 132 are threatened, we certainly have our work cut out for us. Strategising and prioritising are therefore important, which 847 is why in 2018 we developed a comprehensive conservation strategy. The conservation species programmes are also developing individual strategies and, after consultation with a 132 threatened range of experts and stakeholders, the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) strategy was completed in 2018. Our focus is on South Africa’s most threatened birds. We have, for example, made numerous breakthroughs that have contributed to our understanding of the biology of With about 850 the Critically Endangered White-winged Flufftail by developing and implementing novel “bird species in and innovative research and monitoring methods. The most important finding was the identification and recording of the species’ call for the first time. Together with the discov- South Africa, of ery of its breeding in South Africa earlier in 2018, this has reshaped our understanding of the White-winged Flufftail and our ability to conserve this bird. Habitat management which 132 are guidelines for the species will direct stewardship initiatives across its range in 2019. threatened, we Our Conservation Modelling Project has developed cutting-edge research that enables us to assess and monitor the state of South Africa’s ecosystems and habitats. We can certainly have now track environmental change across landscapes and monitor the past, present and our work cut out potential future responses of species or habitats to alterations in land cover and climate. By identifying core sites that form the base of resilient ecological networks, we enable for us ... which conservation practitioners and land managers to develop and implement scientifically is why in 2018 robust initiatives that promote positive change. Our landscape-level habitat project is resulting in the development of national species conservation projects, including on we developed a Rudd’s, Botha’s, Red and Barlow’s larks, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Southern Bald Ibis, Ludwig’s Bustard, Lesser Flamingo, Black Stork and White-backed Vulture. comprehensive As lead poisoning is one of the most important risks facing ever-dwindling vulture conservation populations in Africa, we are studying its prevalence in South Africa’s Cape and White- backed vultures. The results suggest that, unlike non-scavenging birds, these vultures are strategy subjected to lead poisoning on a regular basis and the source is almost certainly ammunition. We have initiated multiple engagements with relevant parties, including SA Hunt- ers, to mitigate this threat by substituting non-lead alternatives for the lead ammunition. ”

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 3 BirdLife South Africa took steps to identify and secure Vulture Safe Zones, which are areas that support vulture populations in the absence of the main threats to these species. The organisation engaged with the new developer and a prospective developer of the controversial proposed wind farm near Letšeng-La-Terae in Lesotho. Fortunately, based on the information we provided, it looks as if the project is on hold and hopefully will not proceed at all. Our Guidelines for Cape Vultures and Wind Farms (intended to provide direction for impact assessment monitoring and mitigation) was published and we are well on the way to having a clearer understanding of the species poten- tially at risk from wind turbines in South Africa. In order to understand more about the Southern Banded Snake Eagle, we conducted field surveys of this Critically Endangered species across its distribution in the plantation matrix of northern KwaZulu-Natal. A new partnership with Forestry South Africa has enabled us to begin working with the forestry industry to understand how the plantation landscape can act as a potential alternative habitat for the conservation of this snake eagle and other raptors in northern KwaZulu-Natal. BirdLife South Africa, in collaboration with Eskom, has also established a Transformer Box Committee to tackle the electrocution risk that transformer boxes pose to Southern Banded Snake Eagles. Our seabird conservationists continue to work globally. A Port-based Outreach (PBO) project was launched in Suva, Fiji, in January. The PBO officer stationed in the harbour engages with foreign vessels that operate on the high seas (where seabirds are more abundant and often fall victim to fishing operations) and dock in Suva port. This project also led to the establishment of a community-based project that em- powers local women to make bird-scaring lines, which they can then sell to vessels docking in the harbour. At-sea trials and demonstrations of various devices, including different line weights, have been crucial to demonstrate to the fishing industry that mitigation measures do not affect catch rates and that incorporating them into fishing operations can be a win-win situation for the industry and the birds. An extension of the PBO pilot project focused on capacity building in Fisheries Con- trol Officers (FCOs) in South Africa. FCOs are responsible for inspecting fishing vessels in port and checking whether they comply with regulations. Crews are often unaware of what is required in terms of bycatch mitigation measures. More than 25 FCOs were trained and are now in a position to report non-compliance with seabird bycatch measures. An additional benefit of the extension is the comparison that can be drawn Samantha Ralston-Paton between the mitigation measures that FCOs record vessels using and the awareness The increasing amount of power generated discussions that the PBO officer conducted. from wind energy in South Africa is welcome The Charl van der Merwe Trust (CVDMT) continued its support of BirdLife South Africa’s in light of our heavy dependence on coal. African Penguin conservation work by committing another R1.6-million per year for the However, wind energy can negatively next three years. This funding will enable us to complete the 11-year project of alternately impact on birds. BirdLife South Africa’s Birds opening and closing certain islands to fishing and of gauging the impact of fishing on & Renewable Energy Project helps ensure penguin foraging and breeding parameters. The CVDMT funding also supports our ef- that wind turbines are located away from forts, in collaboration with others, to put in place concrete, decision-making processes high-risk sites. that will result in the implementation of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries. In March the five Albatross Task Force (ATF) teams (including our two ATF staff members) met in Mar del Plata, Argentina, to review project developments and plan future work. There is still much to do and we continue to work across several fleets, but the fact that the South African offshore trawl fishery has practically zero seabird bycatch means that more than 9000 seabirds are saved each year, thanks to our ongoing engagement. The Mouse Free Marion project received a grant from the National Geographic So- ciety to the value of US$128 000. This grant will go a long way towards assisting with continued research and will enable us to dedicate more staff time to the project. The Mouse Free Marion ‘Sponsor a hectare’ website was launched and to date 289 hectares have been sponsored. New Zealander Keith Springer, an expert in the eradication of invasive species, visited Marion Island during the take-over voyage in April. He was able to inspect the terrain and assist the research team with certain trials before drafting a project plan and an operational plan, both of which will be invaluable to drive the initiative forward. They will also enable BirdLife South Africa and the Department of Environmental Affairs to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of those taking part in the project. CapeNature approved the management plan that guides the attempt to re-establish an African Penguin colony at De Hoop Nature Reserve. This allowed work to start at

4 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA the former colony in October and by late December all the preparations for attracting the penguins back to the site were completed. A predator-proof fence was construct- ed, cameras for remote monitoring were installed and life-like decoys were put in place. This is all in an effort to convince the penguins that a colony already exists there – and that they should join it!

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas In 2018 we leveraged R1.6-million funding from the WWF Nedbank Green Trust to finance the identification of South Africa’s Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and the establishment of KBA programmes in other African countries. Currently 10 African countries and two more outside the continent are being helped in this way. The South Africa KBA National Coordination Group was initiated in partnership with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Comprising a number of national taxa experts from the government and private sector, the group is co-chaired by BirdLife South Africa. The national KBA review process was started and in 2019 it is expected to result in a revised and rigorous network representing many taxa and ecosystems. In 2018 we also focused attention on the Convention on Biological Diversity agenda (2010–2020), particularly its area-based conservation Aichi Target 11. This work included presenting at the Zoological Society of London’s symposium on Safeguarding Space for Nature in the UK and at the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (COP14) in Egypt. We are now well placed to provide relevant case studies on Other Effective Areas-based Conservation Mechanisms (OECMs) and KBAs to inform international best-practice on these novel mechanisms. Considering the positive influence and relevance of BirdLife South Africa’s conservation efforts in South Africa over the years, it has become clear that the organisation needs to expand its mandate by playing a bigger role in assisting other African countries to achieve their conservation goals. It is against this background that, at the beginning of 2018, BirdLife South Africa partnered with the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) to build capacity in four pilot African countries (Cameroon, Gabon, Kenya and Ethiopia) and thus empower them to complete national Red Listing of species and ecosystems. By using these datasets, these countries are then able to identify KBAs – sites that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity – within their borders. These foundational data will also help the pilot countries to, among other things, report on both national and international commitments, in- We published form national policies and identify development sites that hold the A Guide to Bird Watching least threat to biodiversity. in & around Memel to support The proclamation of the Ingula Nature Reserve in 2018 marks the the Sneeuwberg Protected latest milestone achieved by the Ingula Partnership, an alliance be- Environment and promote avitourism tween BirdLife South Africa, Middelpunt Wetland Trust and Eskom. around Memel. The 8000-hectare nature reserve provides a core conservation area Our Fences and Birds: Mitigating and acts as a catalyst for the owners of land around it, encouraging unintended impacts publication them to manage their properties on conservation-based principles. intends to raise awareness The declaration of more than 30 000 hectares as a protected area about the impact of fences adjacent to Ingula is now being negotiated with landowners through on birds. Biodiversity Stewardship. The Upper Wilge Land Owners’ Association was established in 2018 as the first step towards this declaration. Through a strategic partnership with Conservation Outcomes and with funding from the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust, significant strides have been made to complete the protected area declarations of critical patches of the fragmented Mistbelt Grasslands in KwaZulu-Natal. After several years of dedicated effort by our IBA team, the 9000-hectare Moutons hoek Protected Environment was proclaimed. This brings up the IBA Programme’s milestone of having negotiated the declaration of 100 000 hectares of protected areas over the past eight years. We raised R2.275-million to continue our efforts to conserve the Western Cape’s estuaries. We completed a report that measures the effectiveness of safeguarding terrestrial bird species within South Africa’s protected areas. The report was submitted to SANBI and the results will be included in the National Biodiversity Assessment due to be published in 2019.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 5 Policy & Advocacy Our Policy & Advocacy Manager was awarded the inaugural Pathfinder Award Special Commendation for her work on introducing South Africa’s first biodiversity tax incentive, section 37D of the Income Tax Act, into the country’s protected area network. The award celebrates innovation in the financing and resourcing of protected and conserved areas and the initiative was described as internationally unique, placing BirdLife South Africa at the global forefront of cutting-edge conservation work. At the end of 2018 we received confirmation from the National Treasury that the formal process to amend the Income Tax Act again may begin in earnest. The aim of these legislative amendments is to create South Africa’s second effective tax deduc- tion dedicated to biodiversity conservation. This incredibly positive engagement comes on the back of the success of section 37D and has created the launch pad for further landmark innovations in the field of biodiversity finance. BirdLife South Africa’s Policy & Advocacy Programme, together with eight other coalition members represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, worked tirelessly during the year on the Mabola case. Their cumulative efforts were richly rewarded with a victory in the High Court in Pretoria. The Mabola case saw a coalition of environmental and social NGOs seeking to prevent mining within one of South Africa’s most strategic protected areas, the source of the Vaal, Tugela and Pongola rivers. This High Court judgment set an important legal precedent for South Africa’s critical environmental sites and was a strategic victory for a sustainable future.

Regional work Largely with support from the RSPB, BirdLife South Africa continued to play an

MARTIN R. TAYLOR important role in the region, providing assistance with matters relating to seabird Sakhamuzi Mhlongo is an ambassador for conservation, KBAs, renewable energy and policy and advocacy. It is anticipated that conservation in the southern Zululand area. our regional (and in fact international) involvement will continue to grow. We continued to assist BirdLife Zimbabwe as a Supporting Partner, with funding from the RSPB, and it is encouraging to see that the organisation is in an increasingly secure position.

Avitourism Five bird guides (trained with funding from Airports Company South Africa; ACSA) have been placed in learnership positions at four lodges in the Lowveld. A contract has been concluded with the Peace Parks Foundation to undertake avitourism feasibility studies at three of its Transfrontier Conservation Areas (Lubombo, Kavango Zambezi and Kgalagadi).

Membership During her sabbatical, our Membership Programme Manager joined the membership team of Burung Indonesia for three weeks to assist in setting up its membership programme, giving advice and providing options for membership database programmes. During the past year we manned a stand at the Getaway Show, creating awareness about BirdLife South Africa and recruiting new members. Shop for the Birds! (BirdLife South Africa’s shop at Isdell House, its head office in Johannesburg) has grown and is increasing in popularity. The range of items sold includes field guides, T-shirts, Bird of the Year items, stationery and children’s books and toys. BirdLife South Africa continues to have a very good relationship with its 37 affiliated bird clubs, with talks being regularly presented to the clubs. The three bird club forums met regularly and BirdLife South Africa representatives attended each meeting.

Marketing and awareness Six issues of our world-class African Birdlife magazine were published and distributed to our members and subscribers. The magazine was also available in a growing number of retail outlets. We grew our reach significantly on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter during the past year and now connect with tens of thousands of people, many of whom had previously not been exposed to birds, birding or BirdLife South Africa. Our Facebook page and group have more than 17 000 and 31 000 followers respectively (increases of 36 and 37 per cent since late 2017).

6 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Our monthly e-newsletter is e-mailed to approximately 10 000 people. Our website has undergone a massive upgrade and the new and vastly improved platform will be launched early in 2019. With the assistance of Utopia, our advertising agency, and Flume, a digital marketing agency, we continue to receive recognition and raise awareness, including through our Think Birds/Love Birds campaign. We have 12 Citilite billboards that move around South Africa. We have posted a number of clever Think Birds adverts on social media (including adverts/posts on Endangered Species Day, Star Wars Day and World UFO Day, Halloween and Boobies). We secured free full-page adverts in Glamour and Through the House & Garden magazines. “National Lotteries Education Biodiversity Through the National Lotteries Biodiversity Stewardship Project, we were able to reach 35 schools (11 000 learners and 400 teachers) and created a contracted position Stewardship for one of our local guides, who assisted with the implementation of this project. Our Project, we were three Junior Bird Clubs reach just over 200 children each week. able to reach Events 35 schools We hosted a very successful Flock on the West Coast and Learn About Birds (LAB) Conference at Langebaan in March. (11 000 learners The Flufftail Festival held at the Johannesburg Zoo, in collaboration with Water Wise (Rand Water) and the Rare Finch Conservation Group, raised awareness for water, and 400 teachers) wetland and waterbird conservation. The specific day for schools at the annual festival was 1 June, when more than 400 Grade 6 learners from five Soweto-based primary schools were hosted at the zoo. Lesson plans and other materials were developed for Bird of the Year 2018, the African Black Oystercatcher, by the talented author and artist Chrissie Cloete. A poster ” was compiled and distributed in African Birdlife magazine and merchandise, including pin badges, T-shirts and soft toys, was sold in Shop for the Birds! and at various events. The African Bird Fair took place once again at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden and was a huge success. A number of other events were held in 2018, including the Birdathon, Owl Awards, Birding Big Day and two Golden Bird Patron events.

BirdLife South Africa’s properties We remain proud of Isdell House, our magnificent head office in Johannesburg. -Dur ing the past year we acquired more donated artworks, which now adorn its walls. The indigenous plants have flourished and, following our example, many people have been encouraged to start bird-friendly, water-wise and indigenous gardens. We now have 21 solar panels on the roof of Isdell House and we are ‘off the grid’ for several hours a day. During 2018 we began fundraising to acquire a Cape Town office and have raised R2-million so far. The Wakkerstroom Education and Tourism Centre was upgraded with generous donations of materials from Promac Paints, Italtile and Belgotex. Steve Davis also made a donation to the Centre in honour of Roy Cowgill. The centre continues to appreciate the support of Wakkerstroom residents and associations, which increases from year to year. Residents make an impressive contribution by supporting the centre’s recycling programme. More than 3.5 tons of recyclables were collected during 2018, so these items did not end up in a landfill or elsewhere.

This report provides a summary of the large number of diverse activities undertaken by BirdLife South Africa. It is clear that through the hard work and dedication of our staff and volunteers and the support of our collaborators and donors, we are without doubt making a significant contribution to the conservation of South Africa’s birds and their habitats.

tania anderson (2) Isdell House is BirdLife South Africa’s Mark D. Anderson magnificent head office in Dunkeld West, Chief Executive Officer Johannesburg.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 7 Looking Ahead Although this annual report summarises BirdLife South Africa’s work during 2018, it is appropriate to provide brief details of some of the work planned for 2019.

1. Impeccable financial administration and good corporate governance will continue to remain the cornerstones of BirdLife South Africa’s work. 2. The current economic climate is not conducive to raising money, so we will work harder and be innovative in our fundraising efforts. Our Fundraising Committee will meet regularly and we will plan and implement fundraising opportunities. 3. Our fundraising priorities include ensuring that our core costs are met, that all positions are funded and that funding is available for priority conservation projects. Some of the fundraising activities for 2019 will consist of a raffle (which could raise R400 000), a Conservation League Donor recruitment campaign and a collaborative event at Arderne Gardens in Cape Town. To ensure the continued sustainability of our organisation, we will promote our Legacy Project, introduce the concept of endowed positions and raise funds for the BirdLife National Trust. We will also continue to raise funds for the purchase of a Cape Town office. 4. Fundraising for the Mouse Free Marion project will remain a priority. 5. Our marketing and awareness work will continue, including on our ‘Think Birds’ campaign and the production of our world-class, bi-monthly African Birdlife magazine, and we will promote awareness of the Secretarybird, Bird of the Year in 2019. We will actively promote our organisation, birds and bird conservation using

secretarybird albert froneman Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media. 6. We will host a number of important events, such as The African Bird Fair and Bird- ing Big Day. 7. BirdLife South Africa will continue to promote avitourism in southern Africa as an important job creator and economic activity, and we will provide support to the community bird guides. With funding from ACSA and possibly other donors, we will train new bird guides. 8. Another staff skills audit will be undertaken and identified training will take place at the annual staff meeting in May. 9. We will fulfil our governance obligations and hold bi-monthly Board meetings, tri-annual Audit & Risk Committee meetings and our AGM. We will meet our statutory obligations, including the annual financial audit. We will report to the Department of Labour on our employment equity obligations. A Chairman and a Treasurer will be elected at our AGM in May. 10. As BirdLife South Africa’s affiliated bird clubs and members are the backbone of our organisation, we will continue to assist bird clubs with membership administration, attend bird club and forum meetings and communicate through a variety of media with our members and birders in general. 11. A number of vacant positions will be filled in 2019, such as the Conservation Man- ager, Seabird Conservation Programme Manager and Membership Administrator. 12. We will continue to nurture our relationship with other conservation NGOs, academic institutions and relevant government departments and we will work closely with the RSPB and BirdLife International. 13. The appointment of a Conservation Manager will provide an opportunity to re-examine the structure of our Conservation Division and to revisit our Conserva- tion Strategy. 14. BirdLife South Africa’s foremost priority remains the implementation of conservation actions to ensure the protection of South Africa’s birds and their habitats. All our conservation work will be guided by the best scientific information.

8 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Strategic Framework The ultimate aim of BirdLife South Africa’s work is to fulfil the organisation’s vision and mission. Strategic goals have been set that, if attained, would contribute to the achievement of the vision and mission. On an annual basis, both conservation and organisational objectives are formulated. All activities undertaken by the organisation are geared to achieving these objectives. The achievement of them is measured by key performance indicators. Certain key plans have been drafted that serve as guidelines for activities.

Vision & Mission (See page 1)

Strategic Goals • To realise, both efficiently and effectively, key national and international conservation goals and objectives. • To be a conservation organisation that is influential and well respected locally and globally. • To be a well-financed and sustainable organisation that is driven by a team of competent and committed staff. • To have a diverse, engaged and committed membership, and an engaged and representative audience.

Organisational Objectives Conservation Objectives (Page 10) (Page 11)

Key Key Performance Performance Indicators Indicators

Activities Activities with with Target Target Measures Measures

• Marketing & Communications Plan • Conservation Plan • Policies & Procedures Manual • Monitoring & Evaluation Plan • Sustainability Plan

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 9 Organisational Objectives Organisational objectives are classified under key functionalities F( inancial, Human Resources, etc.). Activities aimed at achieving these objectives are implemented by the Business Division. The Board of Directors directly (and indirectly through the Audit & Risk Committee) provides oversight and guidance to the Business Division.

Organisational Objectives

• Financial (e.g. unqualified audits, proper financial management, sufficient reserves) • Human Resources (e.g. training and support of staff) • Governance (e.g. maintaining an optimally functioning Board of Directors, sufficient policies and procedures) • Membership (e.g. growing and diversifying membership) • Marketing & Communications (e.g. increasing awareness, raising profile) • Sustainability (e.g. diversifying revenue streams, developing a fundraising strategy)

Implemented by:

Business Division (Pages 14–19)

Oversight and support Informed by: provided by:

Board of Directors (partly through • Annual Budget Audit & Risk Committee) • Communication Strategy • Fundraising Strategy • Various committees (management, marketing, etc.) • BirdLife National Trust

10 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Conservation Objectives In 2018 BirdLife South Africa completed a strategy document that will guide the conservation work of the organisation over the next four years. The process took into account the global priorities of BirdLife Inter- national, while also focusing on conservation needs at a provincial and national level. It is hoped that this strategy will guide the organisation and enable it to efficiently and effectively realise key conservation goals and objectives that will contribute to the long-term conservation of South Africa’s avifauna.

National International policy, conventions legislation and strategy Vision & Mission

Strategic Goals BirdLife International’s International strategic goals and pillars strategies

Conservation Strategy

Terrestrial Policy & Bird Advocacy Conservation Programme Programme strategy strategy (in draft) (in draft)

Important Seabird Bird & Conservation Biodiversity Areas Programme Programme strategy (to be strategy developed) (completed) Avitourism & Special Projects Programme

BirdLife South Africa’s vision, mission and strategic goals provide the parameters for the organisation’s Conservation Strategy. Within these parameters, the strategy is informed by international conventions, BirdLife International’s strategic goals, national policy and international goals and strategies. BirdLife South Africa’s conservation programmes are also developing strategies; they detail the programme’s work and support the implementation of the Conservation Strategy.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 11 Organisational Structure

Board of Directors

Chief Executive Officer

Business Division CConservationonservation Division Division

Policy & Advocacy Core/Finance & Operations (Page 20)

Membership Terrestrial Bird Conservation (Page 14) (Page 22)

Publications Seabird Conservation (Page 15) (Page 24)

Events and Marketing Important Bird and (Page 16) Biodiversity Areas (Page 26)

Environmental Education Avitourism & Special Projects (Page 19) (Page 28)

12 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Division of Expenses and Sources of Funding BirdLife South Africa maintains a strict policy whereby all conservation work is supported by project-specific funding. No conservation work is undertaken without the necessary funding being in place. Furthermore, except for pre-approved administration fees, no conservation funding or donations are used to fund Business Division activities. The organisation prides itself on maintaining the highest standard of project management and reporting, which includes updating funders with regard to project activities and spending.

Overview Total sources of funding for 2018 BirdLife South Africa continues to be financially sustainable in the face of challenging economic times, partly due to its maintenance of very diverse revenue streams, with no over-reliance on any individual source of funding. 11% 19% 4% 4% Split between Business Division and Conservation Division expenses for 2018 5%

6% 15%

8% 10% Business 9% 9% Division 29% Sources R’000

Local corporate funding 6126 Conservation Division International institutions/foundations 4910 71% Government and parastatals 3373 Local charitable trusts 3020 Publication income 2914 International BirdLife partners 2626 Conservation Division R 26 028 069 Golden Bird Patrons 2068 Events 1629 Business Division Donations 1250 R 10 849 381 Individual funders 1249 Other 3763

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 13 business division Core and Membership Core (a shortened term for the finance and operations functions) staff are responsible for working behind the scenes to ensure the organisation runs smoothly. Functions that are included under Core include executive management, financial management, bookkeeping, human resources, office administration and reception. Core activities are planned, implemented and assessed during monthly management committee meetings, attended by the Chief Executive Officer, Finance & Operations Manager and Human Resources Manager.

Membership BirdLife South Africa is a membership-based organisation for two main reasons. Firstly, our community of members increases our reach across South Africa. Active members are our eyes and ears in places out of reach of our limited staff complement. Secondly, being a membership-based organisation is one of the requirements to become (and remain) a partner of BirdLife International. The number of members decreased slightly during 2018 from 4109 to 3767, in all likelihood due to the challenging economic climate in South Africa. At the end of December 2108 there were 37 bird clubs affiliated to BirdLife South Africa, which

MARK D. ANDERSON brought in an additional 1657 members of BirdLife South Africa through their membership of these bird clubs. Thus the total number of members of our organisation is 5424. In addition, there are 741 direct subscribers to African Birdlife magazine who are BirdLife South not members of BirdLife South Africa. Bird clubs are frequently the entry points for budding birdwatchers to learn about Africa is a birds, often from experts during outings to local and more distant sites. Clubs also “ arrange courses – aimed at beginners or more seasoned birders – on subjects that membership- range from bird photography to the identification of LBJs. Most clubs hold monthly based meetings at which guest speakers are invited to talk about bird-related topics. Affili- organisation ... ated clubs play an important intermediary role between BirdLife South Africa and members. As the contact point between the two parties, they encourage members our community to identify, monitor and address key environmental threats in their local areas. Thus, individuals can develop from recreational birders to active conservationists, spreading of members the message of conservation around the country. increases our During 2018 BirdLife South Africa’s Membership Programme recruited new members at the Getaway Show, The African Bird Fair, the AEWA Meeting of the Parties in reach across Durban, the Ninth Oppenheimer De Beers Group Research Conference and other South Africa. events held at Isdell House. The organisation undertook another very successful recruitment drive for Conserva- Active members tion League Donors and by 31 December 2018 we had received donations from 177 generous supporters. This income source has once again proven crucial to maintain- are our eyes and ing BirdLife South Africa’s favourable financial position. ears in places Members out of reach of 6000

our staff 5000

4000

3000

” 2000

1000

0 2017 2018

Direct members Bird club only members

14 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA African Birdlife The number of subscribers to African Birdlife continued to grow in 2018 and the presence of the magazine in more retail outlets resulted in improved sales figures. Mainstream print magazines in South Africa continued to experience disastrous trading conditions during this period and many major titles showed catastrophic declines in readership, either closing down or changing to an online presence. So the fact that African Birdlife continued to exhibit even a modest growth in circula- tion is positive. It is likely that the magazine’s position as a niche title with a committed core readership helped to buffer it from the drop-off suffered by titles of more general interest. The challenging trading conditions in South Africa exerted considerable pressure on the magazine’s advertising sales teams. Faced with much tighter budgets, advertisers are looking for ways in which they can get added value for their spend to maximise their returns. Bulk sales of the magazine to selected accommodation establishments in southern Africa and the rest of the continent proved highly successful. The number of hotels and lodges signing up grew monthly and this had a positive effect on sales figures. The uptake of subscriptions to the digital version of the magazine continued to be slow. In a bid to generate greater exposure for the magazine, more retail outlets were added by the distributor and sales were incentivised by the inclusion of inserts such as the Bird of the Year 2018 poster. The African Birdlife team once again produced a large-format calendar, sponsored by Sasol, which sold out and made a small profit.

Ostrich 2018 Calendars Confidence in Ostrich by its publisher, NISC, saw the annual allotment of issues Calendars were once again sold in 2018, increase from three to four in 2018, which resulted in the publication of 53 articles of with the income from their sale contribut- various types. In addition to two regular issues, two special issues appeared. The first ing to the sustainability of African Birdlife was made up of selected articles from the Pan African Ornithological Congress (2016), magazine. while the second was titled Hot Birds: Birds of Africa’s Arid Zones and was compiled by guest editor Susan Cunningham. To recognise the contribution of authors to the success of the journal, two award schemes were implemented. The first ‘Ostrich’ award was presented to Colleen Downs at Flock 2018 in recognition of her contribution: six articles published in two years and more in press. In addition, the journal ran its first Best Student Paper competition, which was won by Bukola Braimoh. In January 2019 she was presented with an award for her article ‘Managing human disturbance: factors influencing flight-initiation dis- tance of birds in a West African nature reserve’. Ostrich would not be the success it is without the contributions of its associate editors and support staff, which saw a few changes during 2018. Melissa Whitecross was appointed to the newly created deputy editor-in-chief role to assist Alan Lee. Caroline Howes took over from Chevonne Reynolds as social media manager, keeping @ostrichJAO alive and growing, while Chevonne will be the guest editor for 2019’s planned special issue on Africa’s waterbirds. Robert Crawford retired as associate editor and has been replaced by Jerry Huntley from the American Museum of Natural History, who has experience in the field of molecular phylogenetics. Overall, the journal’s impact factor dipped slightly from the 2017 record of 0.833 to 0.616. Nevertheless, this is still the second highest impact factor of Ostrich’s history and it continues to be Africa’s leading ornithological journal.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 15 business division Events and Marketing

1200 646 participants species

Toni Geddes (2)

Flufftail Festival Birding Big Day The 2018 Flufftail Festival took on a different format from previously in that it com- Birding Big Day 2018, held on Saturday, prised a Family Day, on 21 April, and a Schools Day, on 1 June. Both days were hosted 24 November, was a huge success. More by Joburg Zoo. On the Family Day visitors were invited to take part in a scavenger than 1200 people recorded 646 species hunt, answering questions and playing games at three stations to earn stamps and and logged close to 42 000 sightings on stand a chance to win a range of prizes. The stations were Wetlands, manned by our the mobile app BirdLasser. The day was colleagues in the Water Wise team, who told visitors about the services wetlands a true celebration of birds and birding in provide; Hippo, manned by the Johannesburg City Parks team, who talked about the South Africa and threats to wetlands; and Flamingo, manned by the BirdLife South Africa team, who close to R100 000 discussed the bird species that live in wetlands, especially the White-winged Flufftail. was raised for bird close to On Schools Day about 480 Grade 6 pupils from schools in Soweto and Johannes- conservation. burg descended on the zoo. They too visited three stations: Hippo; Wetlands and Flamingo combined; and the Puppet Show station, which presented a performance of R100 000 ‘Waxi the Hero’, created by the Rare Finch Conservation Group. BirdLife South Africa partnered with Rand Water’s Water Wise team, Johannesburg raised City Parks and Zoo, the Department of Environmental Affairs, the Rare Finch Conserva- tion Group and HDI Youth Marketeers to put together the programmes for both days to highlight the importance of conserving wetlands and waterbirds.

Flock on the West Coast Flock on the West Coast took place at Club Mykonos Resort in Langebaan from 6 to 11 March. The event consisted of BirdLife South Africa’s fourth bi-annual Learn About Birds (LAB) Conference, which was co-hosted by BirdLife South Africa and the Fitz- Patrick Institute of African Ornithology, as well as the annual BirdLife South Africa AGM. Other attractions during the 2018 Flock included workshops and guided excursions that ranged from boat trips out into Saldanha Bay to overland excursions to West Coast National Park and the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area. albert froneman (2)

Melissa Whitecross

16 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Owl Awards The annual Owl Awards presentation took place at Isdell House on 28 June. The purpose of the Owl Awards is to recognise the remarkable achievements of individuals and organisations

albert froneman committed to protecting South Africa’s birds and their habitats. The African Bird Fair Over the weekend of 8 and 9 September The African Bird Fair was held at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden. Lots of people attended, despite the cold weather, and we were able to reach a wide audience and inspire participants to care about birds and the environment.

MARK D. ANDERSON (3)

Bird of the Year The African Black Oystercatcher was the Bird of the Year in 2018. Social media posts created awareness about this distinctive species and BirdLife South Africa, together with the Nature’s Valley Trust and artist Chrissie Cloete and with funding from the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust and Hawarden Trust, developed a series of educational tools and lesson plans. Pin badges and T-shirts were also produced and sold in Shop for the Birds!

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 17 business division Marketing Apart from the events organised by BirdLife South Africa, most of the marketing effort in 2018 went into our ‘Think Birds’ campaign, which aired on outdoor media for a second year and on social and print media, as well as on radio. The outdoor media included roadside billboards and digital screens in shopping malls, bars and restau- rants, with the support of JCDecaux, the international outdoor media company. The billboards caught the attention of branding and advertising guru Andy Rice, who awarded the campaign a ‘Hero’ accolade in the feature ‘Heroes and Zeros’ on the 702 and 567 Cape Talk radio programme The Money Show. The concept was expanded into radio, with three 30-second scripts – Petrel, Kite and Crane – written by our pro bono ad agency, Utopia. With voice-overs by John Maytham and Nancy Richards, these were recorded with the assistance of Milestone Studios. MindShare World, our pro bono media placement agency, secured a good spread of flightings on national, regional and community radio stations around the country. The value to media costs amounted to more than R400 000. With witty tactical executions across several platforms of social media, the campaign was extended even further. Animation courtesy of Flume Digital Marketing added an extra dimension. The first posting, ‘When will the tide tern?’ for Endangered Species Awareness Day, had more than 1000 views in 24 hours. In print media, a spe- cially created full page advert with the ‘Think Birds’ concept was carried on the inside back cover of several issues of African Birdlife. ‘Think Birds’ has been a good strategy with a solid, engaging creative idea and good execution. It has the legs to run even further into 2019, helping to increase awareness of birds and BirdLife South Africa across a varied target market.

‘Think Birds’ has“ been a good strategy with a solid, engaging creative idea and good execution ”

In addition to the ‘Think Birds’ campaign, we partnered with M-Net Channel 101 on a 12-episode series called The Wild Ones that aired on Sundays. We created social media posts from each episode and asked engaging questions about the birds that occurred in them. These posts went out on M-Net and BirdLife South Africa social media platforms, encouraging viewers to watch the series. Weekly prize winners received the book Robins of Africa, along with BirdLife South Africa marketing material.

18 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA The Wakkerstroom Tourism and Education Centre The Wakkerstroom Tourism and Education Centre fulfils many roles and objectives in the immediate and broader community of Wakker- stroom. It raises the profile of BirdLife South Africa by fostering relationships beyond our borders and is empowering people for positive change. Below is a summary of the activities undertaken during 2018.

Avitourism Avitourism continues to soar in Wakkerstroom. The centre’s resident guide is in high demand as he has become well known for his ability to track down sought-after local species. The freelance guides in the area also continue to expand their operations, catering for South African and international guests. above The Wakkerstroom Centre seen from the surrounding grassland. Facilities The centre’s accommodation facilities remain popular during summer when birding is below, left Learners in the Wakkerstroom area at its peak. A generous bequest has enabled us to make improvements and we have are getting to know about birds. carpeted the centre extensively, tiled passageways, bathrooms and verandas, pur- chased much-needed maintenance equipment and added some soft touches to the guest suites.

Building local relationships Various interest groups and local associations were hosted at the centre in 2018, including the Wakkerstroom Bird Club, the Wakkerstroom Natural Heritage Association, the Seme Fire Protection Association and the BirdLife South Africa Board of Directors. BirdLife South Africa serves on the Wakkerstroom Bird Club and Wakkerstroom Natural Heritage Association committees where it manages: • the Junior Bird Clubs, which consist of three groups located in Volksrust and eSizameleni; • the Junior Ambassadors’ Programme, which opens the natural world to the young people of Wakkerstroom; • the annual Sandy Twomey Photographic Competition, now in its fourth year. Working on Fire We continue to support the Wakkerstroom Tourism Association in its efforts to attract The support for our locally based Working visitors to the broader area through events and activities that appeal to different inter- on Fire team continues to grow, with more est groups. subsistence farmers joining the association and making use of the team. Only one major Environmental education fire was recorded in 2018. The team has also Having received funding from the National increased its awareness activities in the local Lotteries Commission for 2018, we were community. able to take the message of conservation to 35 schools across southern Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu-Natal, reaching 11 000 learners and more than 400 teachers. The teachers attended training workshops throughout the year where they were shown Looking KRISTI GARLAND (3) how to implement Biodiversity ahead Stewardship, ensuring cross-curriculum learning. The learners were involved Exciting events planned for in various practical activities in and around their school premises, thereby 2019 include an adventure trail reinforcing the theory they had learnt in the classroom. For many of them through town, our first star-gazing event, a series of bird talks and the it was the first time they had held a pair of binoculars, let alone used a field annual Bio-bash. Funding sources guide to identify a bird. are still being sought for Our Junior Bird Clubs also grew from strength to strength over the year, the centre and its with close to 220 learners in three clubs meeting once a week to enjoy the activities. world that birds were revealing to them.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 19 conservation division Policy & Advocacy

The Policy & Advocacy (P&A) Programme has continued to grow since its reconstitution two years ago. 2018 saw high-impact projects and international achievements that are enhancing opportunities and responding to challenges facing BirdLife South Africa’s conservation investment. Our work seeks to influence policy and advocate for its implementation so as to help achieve our strategic objectives for landscapes, species and people. While specific conservation action projects are important, laws and environmental policy set the wider framework into which all conservation efforts fit. The P&A Pro- gramme’s efforts aim to create far-reaching consequences across sites and species.

M. FISCHBORN Candice Stevens and a representative of Pathfinder Award the South African government receive the BirdLife South Africa’s Policy & Advocacy Manager, Candice Stevens, together with Pathfinder Award in Egypt. the government of South Africa, was awarded the international Pathfinder Award Special Commendation for her work on introducing South Africa’s first biodiversity tax

BirdLife South Africa’s Fiscal Benefits Project incentive, section 37D of the Income Tax Act. The award celebrates innovation in the Biodiversity Tax Incentive financing and resourcing of protected and conserved areas and was presented during the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity COP14 in Egypt. The United Na-

A NATIONAL 1st tions Development Programme described this work as internationally unique, placing First successful biodiversity tax incentive in South Africa. BirdLife South Africa at the global forefront of cutting-edge conservation work. (www.birdlife.org/worldwide/news/birdlife-south-africa%E2%80%99s-candice-stevens-

REWARDS wins-global-pathfinder-award) Offers landowners a financial reward for their conservation commitment when declaring Nature Reserves on Defining Conservation Areas privately and communally owned land. At the request of the IUCN, the P&A and IBA programmes are jointly running a globally important project regarding Biodiversity Aichi Target 11, the international measure tax benefit Landowners can deduct the value of for protected and conserved areas. The aim of the project is to undertake the first the land they declare as a Protected Area from their taxable income. country-level assessment of Conservation Areas, also referred to as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs). Conservation Areas form an integral part

conservation of area-based conservation, but until now have not been fully understood, investi- This new biodiversity tax incentive protects birds and their habitats by gated or reported on. The P&A Programme is leading this innovative policy implemen- formally protecting Key Biodiversity tation, which promises to create a broader framework for the protection and manage- Areas and providing financial sustainability to do so. ment of landscapes across South Africa and internationally.

The Mabola case win Following the granting of ministerial permission to build a coal mine in the Mabola Protected Environment in 2016, a coalition of environmental and social NGOs formed to present a legal challenge to this decision. The Mabola Protected Environment is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA)/Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) and a Strategic Water Source Area, and was the recipient of considerable conservation investment by BirdLife South Africa to formally protect it. Although the mining right had been granted without public participation, the case has been fraught with challenges. Nevertheless, a landmark judgment handed down in the Pretoria High Court set aside the ministerial permission granted to mine. This victory forces the State to account for the environmental importance and sensitivity of the site and its significance for local communities. The judgment has substantial implications with regard to the legal status of protected areas in South Africa and has set a vital precedent. BirdLife South Africa is proud to have formed part of this coalition that defended South Africa’s right to the environment. (https://mabola.cer.org.za/)

CANDICE STEVENS

20 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA A first for proactive advocacy The P&A Programme has launched an exciting new project that will change the face of proactive advocacy work in South Africa. BirdLife South Africa, together with SANBI, is developing Best Practice Guidelines for Species Impact Assessments. These are the left Elelwani Makhuva, BirdLife South first of their kind and form an integral part of the Environmental Impact Assessment Africa’s first vacation work candidate. (EIA) process, which guides development within sensitive areas. Guidelines for six different taxa, including birds, will be developed and taken up by government. These Best Practice Guidelines will fill a vital gap in national advocacy work and ensure that developments have appropriate standards that consider impacts on threatened species and ecosystems. It is envisaged that the lessons and successes of this project may be replicated across the continent.

Vacation work programme In 2018 we passed 97 Envi- The P&A Programme initiated BirdLife South Af- ronmental Impact Assess- rica’s first vacation work programme, which aims to ments through our decision offer an opportunity for university students to gain first-hand experience of what it means to work for tree in order to determine a conservation NGO and to learn about the profes- our level of involvement as sional work environment. Honours or Master’s an Interested and Affected students spend two weeks during their university holidays shadowing and working with our conser- Party (IAP). Of these, we vation staff and gain important career skills and became actively involved capacity development. While a popular model in in 12 cases. The map below sectors such as law and finance, this type of initiative requires more emphasis within the conserva- shows the locations and NATURE’S VALLEY TRUST tion sector. The programme focuses on female names of some of our most B-BBEE candidates, a demographic underrepresented in the conservation sector. The important cases for the year, first candidate, Elelwani Makhuvha, an Honours student from Wits University, joined the P&A Programme in July 2018 and was given exposure to the fields of innovative none of which have been conservation finance, environmental legislation and policy, public and private sector concluded. engagement, and the day-to-day operations of BirdLife South Africa. The candidacy was an enormously positive experience for all involved and Elelwani has gone on to undertake a full internship with the Nature’s Valley Trust.

EIAs processed through the 97 decision tree

EIAs in which we are Johannesburg actively involved in as an IAP 12

6 5 1. Bongani Minerals’s application to mine SOUTH AFRICA lesotho tungsten in the Moutonshoek Protected 2 3 Durban Environment 2. The Polihali Dam in Lesotho (phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project) 3. The uMkhomazi water project and proposed biodiversity offset 4. The Inyanda Roodeplaat wind farm 1 5. Eyamakhosi Resources’s application to 4 prospect for minerals in the dunes south Cape Town Port Elizabeth of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park 6. Rhino Oil and Gas’s application to survey for oil and gas in the Drakensberg region Active Advocacy Sites for BirdLife South Africa, 2018. of KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 21 conservation division Terrestrial Bird Conservation Programme

A focused conservation strategy will guide the Terrestrial Bird Conser- vation Programme’s work over the next five-year period (2019–2024). At a global level, the work undertaken by the programme’s groups falls within BirdLife International’s four pillars: to save species with the objectives to prevent the extinction of threatened species and to keep common birds common, as well as to promote ecological sustainability and positive change for people. Our vision is to conserve diverse and sustainable bird populations, recognising the crucial role they play in maintaining balanced terrestrial ecosystems. Our mission is to identify and prevent or reverse negative trends in terrestrial bird species The survey method developed by the BirdLife through science- and community-based conservation initiatives. South Africa White-winged Flufftail Project has yielded some of the most comprehenisve datasets on many of the highly elusive rallid White-winged Flufftail species found in our wetlands. We reshaped our understanding of the White-winged Flufftail and our ability to conserve this Critically Endangered species during 2018. The project achieved several milestones, including the discovery of the first-ever breeding record of this flufftail in South Africa Vultures are already and the confirmation of its call, which had been a mystery. The BirdLife South Africa Rallid facing a crisis in Africa. Survey Technique, devised by Robin Colyn and Alastair Campbell, uses camera traps and By helping guide the appropriate remote acoustic devices within a wetland while causing minimal disturbance to the bio- location and management of diversity in these sensitive ecosystems (Colyn et al. 2017, 2019). Our recently developed wind energy facilities, BirdLife South management guidelines for the White-winged Flufftail will direct wetland management Africa’s Birds & Renewable initiatives across the species’ range in South Africa. The conservation initiatives of BirdLife Energy Project is helping to ensure South Africa and Middelpunt Wetland Trust (a trust dedicated solely to the conserva- that wind energy does not tion of the White-winged Flufftail) complement the actions outlined within the African add to their woes. Eurasian Waterbird Agreement’s (AEWA) International Single Species Action Plan for the species. Our most recent discoveries were presented at the 7th Meeting of Parties of AEWA held in Durban in December 2018.

Raptors Our Raptors and Large Terrestrial Bird Conservation Programme focuses on monitoring, research and conservation action for threatened species, including Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Secretarybird, Black Harrier, Taita Falcon and Black Stork. As an example, to address the threats that contribute to a decline in the number of South- ern Banded Snake Eagles, we have been monitoring the regional population annually and have built up a strong collaboration with relevant industry partners.

southern banded snake eagle critically endangered

Fewer than 50 25 May 10 Sep 18 Sep 23 Oct–4 Nov 15 Nov 3 Dec mature Southern Transformer Meeting with Forestry Surveyed Mtun- Dr Melissa Ecological Banded Snake Ea- Box Com- Dr Shane South Africa zini to Dukuduku Whitecross niche gles (SBSE) are es- mittee set McPherson accepts pro- Plantations and awarded Leslie modelling timated to occur in up to tackle to discuss his posal to survey nearby protected Brown Memorial for South the coastal forests mitigation of experience on plantations areas in KZN; Grant by Raptor African SBSE of north-eastern electrocution SBSE Project for SBSE and nine territories Research distribution South Africa risk for SBSE in 2016 other raptors located Foundation commenced

2018

The major threat to SBSEs is loss of the coastal forest and lowland grass- Plans for 2019: Complete annual survey, fit land matrix to agriculture and human settlements. They are also at risk at least two birds with tracking devices, com- of electrocution on power infrastructure, especially transformer boxes. plete distribution modelling and publish.

22 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Conservation Modelling Project BirdLife South Africa’s cutting-edge Conservation Modelling Project undertaken by Robin Colyn (KEM-JV Fellow of Conservation) is able to track environmental change across landscapes and monitor the past, present and potential future responses of species or habitats to changes in land cover and climate. By identifying core sites that form the base of resilient ecological networks, we enable conservation practitioners and land managers to develop and implement scientifically robust initiatives that promote positive change. BirdLife South Africa’s landscape-level project aims to develop marietjie froneman existing national species’ conservation projects, including on Rudd’s, Botha’s and Red larks, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Southern Bald Ibis, Ludwig’s Bustard, Lesser Flamingo, Vultures Black Stork and White-backed Vulture, among other species. BirdLife South Africa’s Vulture Project has revealed elevated levels of lead in a large proportion of South Africa’s Ingula Partnership Gyps vultures, with continued re- The proclamation of the Ingula Nature search focusing on determining the Reserve in 2018 marked the latest source of the lead poisoning, which milestone in the work of the Ingula is suspected to be ammunition. By Partnership, which encompasses Bird- setting up the Lead Task Team, a sub- Life South Africa, Middelpunt Wetland group of the soon-to-be-established Trust and Eskom. The 8000-hectare National Wildlife Poisoning Preven- nature reserve is a core conservation Wilge Stewardship area neighbouring Ingula. tion Working Group, BirdLife South area and acts as a catalyst to encour- Africa will continue its active engage- age conservation-based management ment with the South African hunting principles for surrounding landowners. community in an effort to find a In a Biodiversity Stewardship initiative, constructive solution to this conser- approximately 30 000 hectares of pris- vation challenge. The use of lead-free tine grassland surrounding the Ingula ammunition for hunting or culling Nature Reserve have been committed purposes is one of the criteria for the by private landowners to conserve the introduction and establishment of local threatened biodiversity. Vulture Safe Zones in South Africa, Environmental education activities at Ingula. whereby owners of large tracts of carina coetzer (2) land will be asked to manage their Renewable energy properties in ways that will promote BirdLife South Africa promotes the deployment of renewable energy in a way that mini- vulture conservation. Tswalu Kalahari mises harm to birds in South Africa. Through our partnership with the FitzPatrick Institute Game Reserve is poised to become of African Ornithology, we co-authored a paper that was published in the journal Renew- South Africa’s first Vulture Safe Zone, able Energy and reports on impacts of a photovoltaic energy facility on birds. We also have a while site assessments to establish good idea of the surprising diversity of birds killed by wind turbines in the country. Thanks the Zululand IBA as a safe zone are in part to our engagement with prospective developers, a proposed wind farm near already under way. Letšeng-La-Terae, Lesotho, which threatened to accelerate the local extinction of Bearded and Cape vultures, is currently – and hopefully forever – on hold. In addition, we finalised above Vultures are exposed to lead poison- guidelines on how to assess and minimise the negative impacts of wind energy on Cape ing when they consume fragments of lead Vultures. From guidelines to forums, workshops, meetings, newsletters and mentorship, embedded in the carcasses of animals shot our aim is always to ensure that decisions are based on the best available information. with lead ammunition.

black stork vulnerable

A review of historical re- Feb Apr 5 May 4–12 Aug Sep Nov cords has shown dramatic Ecologi- Planning Survey of Second annual Collation Annual declines in the presence of cal niche for 2018 Magalies- survey of of survey report to Black Storks in South Af- modelling Black Stork berg Black Luvuvhu River data SANParks rica. BirdLife South Africa is for breed- surveys Storks valley, north- written trying to assess how many ing and ern Kruger; and sub- are left and whether they foraging one active nest mitted are breeding successfully analysed located

2018

Degradation of wetlands, estuaries and rivers has reduced food availability Plans for 2019: Conduct final Luvuvhu River for these mostly piscivorous birds. Damming of rivers is also a problem, as is survey, analyse three surveys’ data, publish persecution at fish farms. Birds also collide with powerlines. ecological niche model and survey results.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 23 conservation division Seabird Conservation Programme

The Seabird Conservation Programme aims to prevent the extinction of seabirds through three conservation thrusts: addressing seabird bycatch in South Africa and on the high seas; halting and reversing the collapse of African Penguin populations; and developing and supporting marine spatial conservation planning initiatives.

African Penguins 2018 was a significant year for our African Penguin conservation work. After several years of working with CapeNature and other partners, we were given the go-ahead to start work on re-establishing a penguin colony at the De Hoop Nature Reserve. The aim of the ‘creating colonies’ project is to start penguin breeding colonies on the south coast to counter the biggest threat facing African Penguins: a lack of food on the west coast. We have identified the De Hoop Nature Reserve site (the location of a previous breeding attempt) as a good candidate for the first colony and have another site in Plettenberg Bay that we are investigating further. Christina Hagen (2) A large part of the year was taken up with drafting a management plan for the De Hoop colony. When this was approved in August, we jumped into high gear to start The aim ... is to construction of the predator-proof fence. Nesting on the mainland is dangerous to Af- rican Penguins as they are particularly vulnerable to terrestrial predators such as cara- start penguin cals and leopards, while their eggs are at risk from mongooses and genets. Protecting “ the breeding site from predators is therefore vital to the success of the project. After breeding the fence was completed, monitoring equipment – CCTV cameras and the associated colonies on the solar power and Internet infrastructure – were installed. This enables us to monitor the south coast fence and colony remotely. In an exciting development, African Penguins tracked as part of our long-term pre-moult tracking project at Dassen Island spent time forag- to counter the ing in the De Hoop area and returned to their moulting sites having nearly doubled their weight. This confirms that the area does indeed host sufficient fish stocks for the biggest threat penguins. facing African In December, the all-important step was taken: setting out the life-like decoys and starting up the penguin calls that are broadcast out to sea 24 hours a day. The aim of Penguins: a lack this is to convince any passing penguins that this is a safe spot to come ashore and of food on the breed. Watch this space in 2019 to see if they take the bait or if we’ll have to start the process of translocations. west coast ”

right A grouping of penguin decoys at the De Hoop colony site.

above The extremely life-like African Pen- guin decoys being used to entice penguins to breed at the De Hoop colony site were created by Cape Town artist Roelf Daling.

24 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Common Oceans Tuna Project The Common Oceans Tuna Project continued working towards its main objective – to increase the uptake of seabird bycatch mitigation measures on the high seas – as well below A Fijian woman makes bird-scaring as towards the first global seabird bycatch assessment (GSBA). lines to sell to Asian longline vessels stop- 2018 kicked off with the Fiji Port-based Outreach (PBO) inception workshop for the ping over in Fiji. PBO officer based in Suva, Fiji. This position is essential for interaction with the mostly Asian vessels that operate south of 25°S and stop in at Fijian ports instead of return- ing to their countries of origin. The work of our Cape Town-based PBO officer resulted in an exciting collaboration with Global Fishing Watch (www.globalfishingwatch.org), a website promoting sustainable fishing through data transparency, and a scientific paper presented at an Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Working Party on Eco- systems and Bycatch (WPEB) meeting. The 10th and final National Awareness Workshop was held in Malaysia to increase awareness of seabird bycatch issues in the nation’s fishing fleet. Several international meetings were held over the course of the year with important Asian fishing nations as well as with data scientists to prepare for the GSBA workshop taking place in 2019. Work to prepare for the assessment continued throughout the year and required con- stant engagement with participating countries to address concerns relating to data confidentiality, among others. The project also supported significant opportunities for the South African Albatross Task Force (ATF) team and national observers to continue assessing the uptake of seabird bycatch mitigation measures within the South African pelagic longline fleet. JAMES NAGAN

Mouse Free Marion Marion Island is a breeding hotspot for several hundred thousand seabirds, from the large, majestic albatrosses to the smaller burrowing petrels. The principal threat facing this fragile island ecosystem is the introduced house mouse which, driven by climate change and having depleted other food sources, has resorted to attacking seabirds. BirdLife South Africa is providing support to the Department of Environmental Affairs to raise funds to eradicate the mice from the island. We have launched a fundraising website, received a few important project grants, including from the National Geographic Society, and facilitated the drafting of a project plan and operations plan, which will guide both the preparatory work and the actual eradication project. www.mousefreemarion.org.za

ROSS WANLESS

Albatross Task Force above The South African research base at Seabird conservation in fisheries is achieved through a range of mitigation measures Marion Island. and vessel-management practices. Among these, the Bird-scaring Line (BSL) has become the primary and most commonly prescribed seabird bycatch mitigation meas- below The ATF team trained fisheries com- ure throughout the world. There is, however, no universal mitigation measure when it pliance officers in Port Elizabeth to ensure comes to dealing with varying fishing methods, vessel sizes and operational practices. they have a better understanding of the When working with fishermen, the ATF instructors are always seeking feedback not fishing permit conditions relating to seabirds only to improve the effectiveness of a mitigation measure, but also to ensure that its that they need to enforce. uptake by fishermen is optimised. In South Africa the longline fleet is composed of large (>35-metre) and small (<35-metre) vessels. While the BSLs are well adapted for large vessels, this was not the case for the smaller vessels, which were experiencing entanglement with the fishing gear, difficulties with deployment and retrieval of the BSL, and the absence of high enough attachment points – all of which compromised the BSLs’ effectiveness. After consultation with colleagues in other countries and working with the fishing crews, we concluded that the BSL needed to be shorter and lighter and to achieve a greater aerial extent. The search for the best materials began, then various designs – using different combinations of materials for streamers, back- bones and drag sections – were assembled before being trialled at sea. We collected feedback from the fishermen, tweaked the designs and went out again. By December we were confident that we had a good new BLS design. We are now ready to begin training the BSL manufacturing team from Ocean View Association for Persons with Disabilities, so the new BSLs can be made available to the fishing industry and hopefully improve their uptake in smaller vessels. Albatross Task Force

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 25 conservation division Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas Programme

Leading on Key Biodiversity Areas Protected areas and conserved areas are our most effective mechanisms for safeguarding nature and, through multilateral environment agreements, countries such as South Africa have committed to expanding their estates of protected and conserved areas. But to be truly effective, these need to target the sites that are most important biologically. While there have been various international standards to identify and recognise these sites, it was only in 2016 that a global standard for all taxa and ecosystems was developed. Now known as Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA), the sites that are most important biologically are those that ‘contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity’ in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Through the work of the IBA Programme, South Africa has become a global leader in initiating a national and regional KBA programme, which included undertaking a national review and identification of KBAs in South Africa in 2018. The quality of the KBA network depends on the quality of the species and ecosystem data used, and in this regard South Africa has some of the best data in the world. It is the data on birds that are pre-eminent in terms of quantity and quality of information contributing to this process, and this is thanks largely to the dedicated citizen scientists who have been mobilised through the IBA Programme’s strategic partnerships with the Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2 and BirdLasser. As a leader in this space, in 2018 the IBA Programme initiated the Biodiversity Assess- ment for Spatial Planning in Africa (BASPA) project in partnership with the IUCN Species Survival Commission and SANBI. BASPA is supporting other African countries (Mozam- bique, Kenya, Cameroon, Gabon and Ethiopia) in their efforts to categorise which species and ecosystems are threatened with extinction and from these data identify their KBAs. Ultimately these countries, which are currently data poor, will be able to use their KBA networks to lobby their respective governments to protect these sites.

Enhancing Biodiversity Stewardship The IBA Programme’s new strategy, which was developed in 2018 and will run until 2023, lists the loss and deterioration of habitat as the main threats to IBAs and their associated birds and other biodiversity. Thus, in 2010, the IBA Programme began using Biodiversity Stewardship to expand protected and conserved areas onto privately owned land. Biodiversity Stewardship is a government and policy-led programme that aims to negotiate voluntary agreements with private and communal landowners to declare protected areas on their biologically important land. The IBA Programme targeted priority grassland and estuary IBAs, and in 2018 reached its milestone target of negotiating the declaration of 100 000 hectares as protected areas across these sites. Through these eight years of experience, and in partnership with SANBI and the Biodiversity Stewardship Technical Working Group, the IBA and Policy & Advo- cacy programmes have become thought leaders in Biodiversity Stewardship. In 2018 these programmes’ staff played a central role in writing and coordinating the national Biodiversity Stewardship guidelines; researched and wrote a report on enhancing Biodiversity Stewardship in South Africa; reviewed alternative area-based conservation mechanisms in South Africa; and started reviewing and aligning international standards for recognising conservation areas with the Biodiversity Stewardship framework. By contributing significantly to the enhancement of mechanisms to protect and conserve our IBAs, through Biodiversity Stewardship, the IBA Programme has empowered not only our own work, but also that of the broader community of practice, to more effectively get important sites protected, conserved and better managed. This in turn addresses the key threats to IBAs by better protecting, conserving and managing priority IBAs.

26 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA 12 000

Greater Lakenvlei Chrissiesmeer 61 000 Sneeuwberg

Tillietudlum SOUTH AFRICA

20 000 18 000 Since 2010, the IBA Programme has, through various partnerships, negotiated the Verlorenvlei declaration of 100 000 hectares of protected 1928 areas, and established an additional 22 000 Moutonshoek hectares of conservation areas.

Protected areas (hectares)

9000 Protected and conservation areas Conservation areas (hectares)

Protecting our estuaries Estuaries are well known for their biodiversity, particularly their remarkable birdlife, and for the essential ecological functions they perform, such as water purification and providing nursery areas for fish. Yet they remain one of the most threatened ecosystems in the country. Many of South Africa’s most important estuaries for biodiversity have little or no formal protection. Unprotected, estuaries face an increasing number of threats, including over-abstraction and pollution of their rivers, intensifying human disturbance and an overall lack of management. Already established as a leading role player in the estuarine conservation space, BirdLife South Africa secured additional funding from the Rupert Natuurstigting in 2018 to improve the formal protection and appropriate management of these highly valuable, but vulnerable ecosystems. The Estuaries Conservation Project has focused on the Verlorenvlei, Berg and Klein River estuaries, and their catchments, and is now looking to expand to other estuarine IBAs along the Western Cape coastline. The Verlorenvlei Protected Areas Project achieved the successful declaration of the Moutonshoek Protected Environment in 2018. This protected area of 9000 hectares conserves the Krom Antonies River and its catchment, which is the main tributary of the Verlorenvlei Estuary and is thus essential to its future survival. The Moutonshoek Valley also provides a safe haven for a variety of species, including the Endangered and endemic plant Diascia caitliniae, the Endangered Verlorenvlei redfin fish Pseudo- barbus verloreni, the Vulnerable Cape leopard and threatened bird species such as the Blue Crane, African Marsh Harrier and Black Harrier. The project also facilitated the training of more than 40 local community members working on environmental management projects in the area, thereby helping to improve their socio-economic situation while simultaneously contributing to the conservation of South Africa’s natural resources. The Moutonshoek Protected Environment comprises an area of integrated land use, where agricultural production and biodiversity conservation coexist. These positive conservation outcomes are made possible by the willing and supportive private landowners in the Moutonshoek Valley. They are the real conservation heroes, ensuring their land is protected and managed sustainably into the future. Positive negotiations with landowners at the Berg River and Klein River estuaries are likely to lead to further protected area declarations in the near future. In addition, michael price BirdLife South Africa is partnering with CapeNature to investigate protected area Privately protected areas, which are vol- expansion of state-owned estuarine waterbodies at other priority estuarine IBAs in the untary agreements signed with private or Western Cape. By formally protecting these estuaries and advancing conservation ac- communal landowners through Biodiversity tion, the Estuaries Conservation Project will help to safeguard their critical biodiversity Stewardship, allow for sustainable land and the vital ecosystem services they provide, and at the same time help to maintain uses that also support in situ conservation their important role in supporting the local and wider coastal economies. objectives.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 27 conservation division Avitourism & Special Projects

The State of South Africa’s Birds The highlight of 2018 for the Avitourism & Special Projects Programme was undoubtedly the launch of the country’s first The State of South Africa’s Birds report at the BirdLife South Africa AGM in Langebaan, Western Cape. This report provides a snapshot of the current status of our Recognising that country’s bird populations and the plethora of threats that they face and, most importantly, “the conservation it chronicles the response to these threats by a range of different of birds is a conservation stakeholders. Drawing on national survey and monitoring data, the publication provides a detailed and authoritative insight into the status of birds and biodiversity regional issue, within the country and will hopefully convince key decision-makers of the dire need to we increased take action to conserve South Africa’s diverse avifauna. our focus on Partnerships In terms of partner development, we continued to support BirdLife Zimbabwe, provid- improving ing technical assistance and advice relating to project management and proposal collaboration writing. Recognising that the conservation of birds is a regional issue, we increased our focus on improving collaboration between regional BirdLife partners by devel- between regional oping transboundary projects aimed at addressing regional threats to threatened species. This approach culminated in the drafting of several proposals, as well as the BirdLife partners formation of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Bird Conservation by developing Working Group, operating under the auspices of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Secretariat. BirdLife Zimbabwe, BirdWatch Zambia and BirdLife transboundary Botswana are represented on this body and it is hoped they will be able to utilise this projects aimed platform to undertake key conservation interventions in that region, as well as expand their work to other key sites within southern Africa. at addressing Key partnerships with regional conservation bodies were concluded, including a regional threats Memorandum of Understanding with the Peace Parks Foundation to undertake work across transfrontier conservation areas in southern Africa. An assessment of BirdLife to threatened Botswana was completed, resulting in this organisation being accepted by BirdLife International as a full BirdLife partner. species We increased our reach within the region, engaging with bird conservation stakeholders in Namibia on different conservation topics, as well as with the Kissama Foundation, a conservation organisation based in Angola, on work at Mt Moco in that country. The programme continued to represent the region as a member of the East Atlantic Task Force, which looks to improve the conservation status of Palearctic ” and intra-African migratory species and habitats along the flyway hugging the west coast of Africa and stretching from South Africa to the Arctic. A further component of partner development work completed in 2018 was the partnering with Associação

28 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Ambiente Conservação e Educação Moçambique to undertake the drafting of legislation titled ‘Regulations on the Protection, Conservation and Sustainable Use of Avifauna in Mozambique’. It is hoped that this legislation, once promulgated, will contribute to the long-term protection of birds in that country.

Promoting South Africa BirdLife South Africa continues to promote South Africa as one of the premier birdwatching destinations in the world. Representatives were sent to the British Bird Fair and we took advantage of several other opportunities to promote the country’s birding assets during 2018. During the course of the year we engaged with a number of stakeholders in the tourism sector, forming meaningful partnerships that will facilitate the promotion of birding tourism in South Africa as well as further afield in neighbouring southern African states. We continued to provide travel advice to a multitude of international and domestic birdwatchers, marketing the services of South African Birder Friendly Establishments and Operators as well as the BirdLife South Africa-trained bird guides.

Akkerboom Country Cottages darling lodge guest house Bird guides Five BirdLife South Africa-trained guides were placed in internship positions at high- end lodges in the Lowveld region, enabling them to earn valuable experience that will contribute to the successful completion of their FGASA Level 2 qualification. Fund- ing was provided for several community guides to attend tourism events, including Tourism Indaba, the Wildlife Economy Indaba and The African Bird Fair, so that they could promote themselves and their businesses. Marketing materials, uniforms and binoculars were distributed and the guides’ services were marketed across several media platforms. A unique opportunity for bird guides to take on the role of mentors was provided by SANBI’s Rural Citizen Science Project, where they were tasked with passing on their knowledge to what will hopefully be the next generation of conservationists. A highlight was the packaging of several tours, targeted at international birding groups and led by local BirdLife South Africa-trained guides. The tours were a success and feedback received from the participants was extremely positive. More significantly, however, they provided an opportunity for senior local guides to participate meaningfully in the birdwatching tourism sector. In addition to capacity development commitments, the programme led the drafting of a conservation strategy for the organisation, which was adopted by the BirdLife South Africa Board and will guide the work of the organisation for the next four years.

Looking forward In 2019 the programme will be looking to consolidate the partnerships made in 2018. We will continue our efforts to improve collaboration among BirdLife partners in the region in order to develop conservation interventions that will address regional threats to threatened bird species. During the course of the year we will initiate a review of the 2015 Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, a process that will conclude in 2020 and significantly contribute directly to conserva- MARTIN R. TAYLOR (2) tion planning on a regional and an international scale. Significantly, there will be a Nomusa Ntuli and Norman Mncube, two greater focus on promoting birdwatching tourism in South Africa and pushing for the senior guides located at Dhlinza Forest and diversification of this sector to ensure that all members of South African society have Wakkerstroom respectively, have guided the opportunity to benefit from our natural heritage. countless birders over the years.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 29 Annual Review of the Performance and Effectiveness of BirdLife South Africa 2018 reporting period

Review by Board of Directors

Mandate Board self-assessment For several years, and in keeping with the provisions of The evaluation document used for this exercise has been re- BirdLife South Africa’s constitution, an annual review has viewed and improved. In September last year, at the BirdLife been conducted on the performance of the organisation as a International Global Partnership meeting in Belgium, the whole and that of the Board of Directors. With respect to the undersigned gave a presentation to a group of chairmen and former, I am indebted to the CEO and his staff for their input; CEOs of some of those partners, explaining the system that for the latter, I am grateful to my fellow directors for their we utilise and its benefits. critical and robust assessment. Our current review again covered strategic planning; finan- The results of both reviews have been carefully evaluated cial performance and management; brand enhancement and and also compared to those of previous years. In general, a marketing; and the structure, operation and leadership of the steady and meaningful improvement over time is disclosed. Board. No material concerns of any kind were highlighted. Indeed, the returns showed an overall improvement over Organisational review previous years. The CEO and his staff have completed a comprehensive In the corresponding review last year I noted three issues review of performance over plan for the 2018 reporting that required further attention. The first concerned the role period. (A review of BirdLife South Africa’s conservation work of the Board in fundraising. We have made progress in this is reported separately.) regard. Under the leadership of Yvonne Pennington, the The key areas studied were: finance; financial performance Fundraising Committee has been active and continues to and fundraising; HR/staff; members and bird clubs; marketing identify strategies and opportunities for the future. and communication; alliances and partnerships; and Board/ A second item flagged was the criteria and process for the governance. These are in turn divided into several ‘activities’, selection of directors. Once again, we are now in a better with the total number over all areas amounting to 34. space. A key appointment during the year has added to the In considering the key areas and their specific activities, diversity and skills around the board table. I believe that at a process is followed that examines, in order: the objective; this time we have a sufficient diversity of skills at that level. indicators of performance; current measures; target measures Although progress has been made regarding other aspects of for the year; and achievement over plan. diversity, there is of course more to be done. It is pleasing to be able to report that, as in the previous The final consideration related to ‘succession planning’ at year, the outcome of the exercise has been positive. One board level. This has been addressed for the present, since example will suffice at this point. Under the activity ‘financial a procedure is in place for the proper and smooth handing results’ the following is recorded: over of responsibility when the undersigned completes his Objective: ongoing annual surplus four-year term as Chairman of BirdLife South Africa at the Indicators: annual financial statements AGM to be held in Johannesburg on 11 May 2019. Current measures: achieved over previous eight years Target measure: achieve surplus for 2018 Opinion Result: accomplished The Board of Directors of BirdLife South Africa, based on the results of the two comprehensive surveys, confirms that it: The returns for virtually all other key areas/activities • is satisfied with the effectiveness of both the Board of showed a similar result and no issues of significance were Directors and the organisation as a whole; recorded. • notes with appreciation the improvement over the previ- A concern highlighted last year was the gap in the organo- ous year; and gram, inasmuch as the important post of Conservation Man- • is confident that the minor issues identified will receive ager remained unfilled. This was, and has been, entirely due proper attention during the current year. to funding constraints. The concern has now been resolved and we expect to make a suitable appointment in the next few months. A second issue raised was the ongoing question of a less than satisfactory level of diversity within our membership base. There is no quick fix to this, but we will continue our Roger Wanless efforts to remedy the situation. Chairman

30 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Review of BirdLife South Africa’s conservation work his is the fourth annual review of BirdLife South Africa’s species, such as the White-winged Flufftail, are involved, and Tconservation activities, as required by the organisation’s taxon-specific actions are required to conserve some highly constitution. The panel assessed the following strategy docu- threatened groups, such as vultures or seabirds. ments: BirdLife South Africa’s ‘Strategic Framework’, the Con- Overall, BirdLife South Africa is making a real difference in servation Division’s ‘Strategy 2018–2023’, the ‘Strategy for the the country, with some actions that resonate on a global scale. KBA (IBA) Programme 2018–2023’ and the Policy & Advocacy However, it is at risk of being a case of too little and too late. All Programme’s ‘Strategic Focal Areas 2019’. In addition, we asked the indicators show we are losing biodiversity faster than ever, the five programme managers – Hanneline Smit-Robinson and runaway climate change is unavoidable unless we radically (Terrestrial Bird Conservation), Christina Hagen (Seabird Con- change our lifestyles. Yet the environment barely registers on a servation), Daniel Marnewick (IBA), Martin Taylor (Avitourism & national agenda focused on job creation and economic growth. Special Projects) and Candice Stevens (Policy & Advocacy) – to The fourth pillar of BirdLife International’s Strategic Objectives critically assess whether they are meeting their goals. is ‘to empower people for positive change’ and this is where It is clear that considerable effort goes into strategic plan- BirdLife South Africa needs to increasingly focus its resources. ning by the five programmes. The 2019 strategy documents We need to alter people’s attitude to the environment from are even clearer, with more robust strategies and more obvious a nice-to-have luxury to an essential foundation for modern guides to performance and accountability, than those assessed society, because we cannot afford to continue on the business- in 2018. However, there is some lack of coherence among the as-usual trajectory. The Arctic is predicted to be ice-free by 2050 five programmes and a report on progress made by the BirdLife and there is compelling evidence that the West Antarctic ice- South Africa team as a whole to address key threats would be a sheet breaks up when atmospheric carbon dioxide exceeds 400 useful addition to future reports. Also, there should be regular ppm. We passed this milestone in 2016, yet we continue to burn assessment of progress at a project level so that projects that fossil fuels faster than ever. Conservation will be the last thing fail to live up to their potential can be dropped in order to free on people’s minds in a world where 200 million people have up resources for projects that are working well. to move because of the rise in sea level. BirdLife South Africa The programme managers do not shy away from critical as- needs to adopt more direct and forceful ways to achieve the vi- sessment of threats to, and weaknesses in, their teams. These in- sion of a country and region in which nature and people live in clude staff burnout, loss of strategic focus due to mission creep, greater harmony and more equitably and sustainably. reliance on partnerships with government for implementation, and insufficient or insecure funding. A key strength is the gener- ally good relations with other players in the conservation arena. Other NGOs view BirdLife South Africa’s IBA/KBA programme as a flagship for conservation planning on national, regional and Peter Ryan, FitzPatrick Institute of African global scales, as its approach promises the broadest conserva- Ornithology, University of Cape Town tion returns. Other methodologies can also produce results, The review was undertaken with assistance from Angus Burns however: species-level approaches can substantially benefit (Wwf-Sa), Andrew Jenkins (Avisense Consulting) and Craig habitat-based conservation, not least when flagship or umbrella Whittington-Jones (Gauteng Nature Conservation)

Audit & Risk Committee annual review, financial year end 31 December 2018

Mandate • during the course of the year The present constitution of BirdLife South Africa requires that i) the financial performance of BirdLife South Africa against the Audit & Risk Committee express an opinion annually re- the budget approved by the Board; garding the effectiveness and performance of both the Board ii) risk assessment and mitigation measures determined by and BirdLife South Africa as a whole. the Board and Management; iii) the Delegation of Authorities of BirdLife South Africa. Report of the Audit & Risk Committee to the members of BirdLife South Africa in Opinion terms of the constitution Based on the above and as is required in terms of the constitution, the Audit & Risk Committee is satisfied with the The Audit & Risk Committee has reviewed: effectiveness and performance of both the Board and BirdLife • a report titled ‘Annual review of the performance and ef- South Africa as a whole. fectiveness of BirdLife South Africa’ (2018 reporting period) prepared by the Chairman of BirdLife South Africa; • a report titled ‘Review of BirdLife South Africa’s conservation work’ (2018) by Prof. Peter Ryan, Angus Burns, Dr Andrew Jenkins and Dr Craig Whittington-Jones; • the preparation of the Annual Financial Statements of BirdLife Andrew Mitchell South Africa and the External Auditors report thereon; Chairman, Audit & Risk Committee

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 31 Financials Abridged statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the year ended 31 December 2018

2018 2017 (R) (R) Business Division 75 067 380 089 Income 10 924 448 11 628 732 Expenditure (10 849 381) (11 248 643)

Conservation Division - - Income 26 028 069 21 176 370 Expenditure (26 028 069) (21 176 370)

Net income from operations 75 067 380 089

Net non-operating (expenses)/income (4 311 552) 104 656 Surplus on disposal of investments 38 283 35 022 Bequests and donations to Sustainability Fund 252 190 347 634 Donations to related parties (including investments) (6 476 723)* (278 000) Fair value gain on investments donated to Birdlife National Trust 1 874 698 -

Net (loss)/income for the year (4 236 485) 484 745

Other comprehensive (loss)/income (1 690 514) 497 761 Deficit on realisation of fair value gains on donated investments (1 874 698) - Surplus on adjustment of investments to fair market value 184 184 497 761

Total comprehensive (loss)/income for the year (5 926 999) 982 506

* The total investment portfolio and an additional cash amount were donated to the BirdLife National Trust (BLNT). This donation will ultimately strengthen the organisation, as the BLNT’s sole objective is to receive, manage and invest funds and other assets for the long-term benefit of BirdLife South Africa.

32 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Statement of financial position as at 31 December 2018

2018 2017 (R) (R) ASSETS Non-current assets 503 160 6 754 342 Property, vehicles, furniture and equipment 503 160 617 692 Investments -* 6 136 650

Current assets 24 793 868 19 916 116 Trade and other receivables 2 721 801 990 726 Cash and cash equivalents 21 927 626 18 808 000 Inventory 144 441 117 390

Total assets 25 297 028 26 670 458

EQUITIES AND LIABILITIES Reserves Accumulated funds 5 241 430 11 168 429

Current liabilities 20 055 598 15 502 029 Income received in advance 17 833 269 13 793 069 Trade and other payables 2 222 329 1 708 960

Total equities and liabilities 25 297 028 26 670 458

The financial statements of BirdLife South Africa for the year ended 31 December 2018 have been audited by KPMG. Set out here are the abridged statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the year ended 31 December 2018 and financial position at that date. These have been extracted from the Audited Financial Statements and disclose a sound financial position.

Tony Zoghby Treasurer

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 33 Sponsors and Supporters BirdLife South Africa is very grateful to the many people, organisations and companies that support its work. These include the bird clubs and volunteers who serve on the Audit & Risk, Ethics, Flock, Flufftail Festi- val, Fundraising, List, Marketing, Membership and Rarities committees and the Board of Directors. Many BirdLife South Africa members also serve on bird club committees and the three regional forums. We are also grateful to the volunteers who assist at BirdLife South Africa’s head office and Wakkerstroom Tourism and Education Centre.

Donors and funders R1 000 000 or more Airports Company South Africa SOC Ltd, Charl van der Merwe Trust, Eskom Holdings SOC Limited, First Rand Trust (RMB), Global Environment Fund (GEF), Investec Corpo- rate & Institutional Banking, Mary Oppenheimer & Daughters Foundation, National Geographic Society, Neville Isdell, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, South African National Biodiversity Institute.

R500 000–R999 999 golden pipit francois du plessis Global Wildlife Conservation, JCDecaux, Kimberley Ekapa Mining JV, National Lot- teries Commission, Oppenheimer Generations (S. & N. Oppenheimer), Rupert Natu- urstigting, Utopia, WWF Nedbank Green Trust.

R250 000–R499 999 BirdLife International, Carl Zeiss (Pty) Ltd, Ferring International Centre SA, Hans Golden Pipit Hoheisen Charitable Trust, Pamela Isdell, Italtile Foundation, PGA Tour Inc, Reinet Tanya Browne, David Chamberlain, Foundation, Swarovski Optik/Whylo Distributors (Pty) Ltd, Woolworths. Philip Chamberlain, Michael and Rose Hainebach, Nedbank, Nicky Oppen- R100 000–R249 999 heimer, Remgro, Gaynor Rupert. Blue Diamond Mines, Mr Price Group Limited, MySchool/MyVillage/MyPlanet Pro- gramme, N3 Toll Concession, Rand Water Services (Pty) Ltd, SANParks Honorary Rang- Golden-breasted Bunting ers: West Rand Region, Sappi Limited, Sasol Group Services, L.L. Severinghaus, The Chris and Barbara Cory, Phil and Lewis Foundation, Trencor Services (Pty) Ltd, WWF-SA Table Mountain Fund. Joanna Perry. R1 000–R99 999 and significant in-kind contributions African Golden Weaver Ackerman Family Foundation, M. Ackerman, African Mining and Trust Company Limited, Mandy Ackerman, Geoff and Mary N.J. Aggett, D. Allan, G. Allport, T. Anderson, Angloplat Ltd, P. Appleyard, G. Atkinson, Ball, Alex Barrell, Stuart and Sandra AVIS Budget Rent A Car South Africa, G. Ball, Beleave Clothing, Belgotex Floors, C. Bentel, Bird, Paul and Jeanne Harris, Ken Col- E. Bhorat, Birding Big Day participants and donors, Birding Ecotours, BirdLasser, BirdLife lins Charitable Trust, Tasso Leventis, Free State, BirdLife Inkwazi, BirdLife KZN Midlands, BirdLife Lowveld, BirdLife Northern Simon Milne, Vaughan Prost, Stephen Gauteng, BirdLife Plettenberg Bay, BirdLife Sandton, BirdLife Sisonke, L. Birks, H. Borkum, Reinecke, Simon Stekhoven, Simon B. Botha, R. Botha, S. Boyd, M. Brown, E.J. Buchmann, Bustards Birding Tours, D.V. Cacho, Susman. Cape Bird Club, CapeNature, S.I. Carlsson-Smith, D. Chamberlain, Charles Greig Jewellers, K. Chetty, City of Cape Town, A. Coetzee, J. Crickmay, G. Crookes, Cuckoo Bird Club, F. da African Golden Oriole Silva, S.B. Davis, J. de Boer, Department of Environmental Affairs, E. de Villiers, K. Dixon, Ismail Bhorat, Nadya Bhorat, Shaun Diemersfontein Wine & Country Estate, M. Drummond, E. Duncan, Duram Smart Paint, G. Bouchier, John and Alison Bradshaw, Ebedes, E. Eksteen, Elaine’s Birding and Wildlife Products, A. Ellmer, Escarpment Bird Club, Howard Buttery, Tony and Maureen Eureka DIY Solutions, Everard Read Gallery, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Fast & Featherless Dixon, Golden Fleece Merinos, Pat and participants and donors, A. Featherstone, F.H. Chamberlain Trading (Pty) Ltd, FitzPatrick Karin Goss, Christopher Greig, Grin- Institute of African Ornithology, R. Flack, S. Fogarty, Food and Agriculture Organization of drod Bank, Don Hairs, Pamela Isdell, the United Nations (FAO), L.J. Forbes, Ford Wildlife Foundation, A. Froneman, M. Gagiano, Sandra Ovenstone, Steve Palframan, GardenShop, Gardens of the Golden City, B. Gardner, A. Gilbert, Greenfields Vet, C. Greig, Giovanni Ravazzotti, Graham Warsop, Grindrod Bank, I. Grundlingh, B. Hackland, Haggie Charitable Trust, E. Hall, P. Hancock, T. Peter Willig. Hardaker, Hartenberg Wine Estate, V. Head, Healthcare Navigator, L. Henderson, Herit- age Prints, M.A. Heyns, K.W. Hoffmann, S.R. Horejsi, International Seafood Sustainability

34 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Foundation (ISSF), IUCN Species Survival Commission, J.M. Jacobs, A. Jenkins, Johannes- burg City Parks and Zoo, John Dory’s, John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Jonsson Workwear, Joseph Baynes Estate, C. Kendall, A.J. Kerslake, J. Kinghorn, Kingsmead College, M. Kolb, KPMG Inc., R. Laubscher, J. Lavers, D. Lawrence, A. Lee, H. Lehle, Leonardo di Caprio Foun- dation, P. Liggett, O. Lockwood, C. Lotz, V. Lovell, D. MacFadyen, D. MacGillivray, S. Malone, E. Marais, R. McGrath, A. McKechnie, A. McLean, Melomed Private Hospitals, P. Mey, C. Corporate members Meyer, M. Milne, Mongena Game Lodge, Mouse Free Marion donors, K. & A.J. Mueller, Na- Partner tional Zoological Gardens of South Africa, C. Nattrass, Northern Bird Club Regional Forum, Duram Smart Paint, Investec Bank Lim- Ocean Breeze Food Merchants, G. Ortner, Partnership for International Birding, Peace ited, N3 Toll Concession, Sappi Limited. Parks Foundation, F. Peacock, Y. Pennington, N. Perrins, Pimstein Family, Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP), M.G.F. Pretorius, Promac Paints, S. Pyott, J. Ragsdale, Rand Associate Barbet Bird Club, Rand Merchant Bank, Random House Struik, J. Rankin, C. & M. Read, Nelesco 569 (Pty) Ltd, Super Stone C. Rens, A. Riley, Rockjumper Worldwide Birding Adventures, R. Rutishauser, P. Ryan, S. Mining (Pty) Ltd, The Hollard Insurance Schneier, E. Seevnarayan, T.E. Sewell, D. Sharp, G. Shaw, E. Shepard, Sishen Iron Ore Com- Company. pany, P. Soma Owen, South African Wind Energy Association, M.W. Spicer, P. Stapelberg, I. Stepski, R. & D. Stewart, L. Steynberg, M. Strobbe, W. Swanepoel, S.W. Swarts, W. Tarboton, Introductory S. Taylor, N. Terreblanche, The Diamond Route, The Hermann Ohlthaver Trust, Thelema Avi Products, Birding Ecotours, Bruce Wine Estate, R. Thomson, TLT Accountants, M. Tripp, Tshikululu Social Investments, UNEP/ Lister Incorporated, Den Braven SA AEWA, University of Maryland, K. Valentine, Van de Venter and Mojapelo (VVM), N. van (Pty) Ltd, Garden Shop, Indwe Risk Ser- der Merwe, J.J.M. van Zyl, P. Venter, E. Vercuiel, R. Vincent, W.P. Walker, J. Wallace, Walter vices, Ocean Breeze Food Merchants Sisulu National Botanical Gardens, G. Webb, I. Weiersbeye Porter, West Coast Bird Club, M. CC, Ricoh South Africa, Rockjumper Whitney, P. Whittington, Whylo Distributors, Witwatersrand Bird Club, J. Wood, T.G. Wood, Birding Tours CC, SA Wingshooters World Signs, WWF South Africa, J. Yeld, Youth Africa Birding, H. Zaaiman, R. Zipp. Association, Singita Management Company, Swift Flite (Pty) Ltd, The Cav- Although we have done our best to ensure that all donors are listed, we apologise for any ern Resort & Spa, The George Skinner omissions. BirdLife South Africa is grateful for all the support it receives, no matter how Family Trust, Timbila Consulting (Pty) large or small, and we endeavour to acknowledge financial and in-kind contributions. Ltd, Umfolozi Big Five Game Reserve.

Conservation League Donors L. Almon, M.D. & T. Anderson, P. Ayling, Big Five Game Company (Pty) Ltd, D.T. Black- burn, S.A. Blades, I.L.S. Bloxam & L. Hart, P.L. Board, H. Boeke, J.H. & J. Boshoff, W.S. Boshoff, S.G. Botha, M.A. Bridgeford, M. Brink, M. Buckham, S.W. Burger, P. Cairns, P. Calinikos, P.L. Campbell, K. Carpenter, C. Coetzee, A.E. Conradie, I.H. Cooke, D. Cope, C.J. & B. Cory, R. Crawshaw, F. da Silva, S.B. Davies, J.L.W. de Jager, M. de la Rey, P.G. Diedericks, F. Donaldson, H. du Toit, L. du Toit, D. Eagle, R.T. & S. Edmond, A. Ellmer, C. Erasmus, T. Erasmus, M.G. Evans, J.H. & H. Exelby, P. Ferreira, S. & S. Fogarty, A.T. & N.T. Forbes, C. Forbes, B. Forsyth, C.R. Foster, K. Fourie, H.W. & J. Garrett, B. Garven, E. Germiquet, A. Gilbert, S. Goeckeritz, J.M.D. Graham, R.J. Gray, W.G & A. Greig, M. Grif- fith, J. Grobbelaar, B. Hackland, G. Hamlin, L. Hamlin, T. Hamlin, N. Hansmeyer, T. & M. Hardaker, R.R. Harebottle, E.W.B. Harris, G. Hartford, J.B. & M. Hawthorne, V.R.L. Head, Health Care Navigator CC, D. Herbst, M.A. Heyns, M.J. Heystek, P. Hibbit, M.A. Hoole, B. Horley, R. Horley, A. Hough, N.B. Hudson, A. Jackson, G.C. Jensen, V. Joubert, A.C. Joy, F. Kanichowsky, F.J. Kleyn, N.S. Knott Craig, Kudu Private Nature Reserve, P. Landey, M. Langlands, B. Lategan, C.J.H. & J. Lourens, D.M. Lawrence, P. Lehle, O. Lockwood, R.M. Loubser, R.D.B. Lovemore, A. MacDonald, D. MacGillivray, M. MacRobert, A. Madden, B. Madden, D.T. Mahony, J. Malan, G. Maree, A.G. Marshall-Smith, M. Mason, Masterclass Events (Pty) Ltd, R. & M. McGrath, T. McKenzie, G.D. Meihuizen, J.M. Meyer, A. Mitchell, J.C. Mouton, S.M. Mylrea, D. Napier, J. & L. Niemandt, W. Noel, N. Nolden, B. Ortner, G.F. Ortner, M. Owen, L.D.G. Pegram, S. Peile, Y. Pennington, P. Perry, C. Pinker, N. Podmore, R.N. Porter, J. Potgieter, J. Ragsdale, Rand Barbet Bird Club, J.M. Rankin, I. Rasmussen, G. Raubenheimer, T. Risi, I.M. Rogan, J. Rupert, K.J. Rust, N. Ryan, P. Ryan, M. Scheepers, N. Schonegevel, W. Schonegevel, G.F. Shaw, W. Sinclair, T. Smallberger, M. Solomon, P. Soma Owen, N.D.M. Stainforth, P. Stapelberg, C. Stewart, R. & D. Stewart, L. Steynberg, A. Sugrue, E. Sullivan, S.L. Sutherland, S.S. Terblanche, R.R. Thomson, E. Thornton-Dibb, A. Torburg, Toro Yaka Bush Lodge, J.B. & M. Ubbink, C. van den Bergh, M.J.C. van der Merwe, W. van der Merwe, C. van der Meulen, J. van Wyk, R.R.M. Wanless, I. Weiersby- Porter, A.P.N. Whyte, L.L. Wilde, J. Williams, G. Wood, J. Wood, R. Zipp, A. Zoghby.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 35 Patrons Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe | Mrs Gaynor Rupert | Mr Mark Shuttleworth

Honorary President Prof. Colleen Downs

Audit & Risk Committee Andrew Mitchell (Chairman) | Philip Calinikos | Chris Cory | Arthur Plint | Tony Zoghby

Staff Executive Management Mark D. Anderson (Chief Executive Officer)

Conservation Division IBA Programme Daniel Marnewick (Programme Manager) | Romy Antrobus-Wuth (Administrative Assistant) | Dr Simeon Bezeng (Regional Red List Programme Manager) | Ernst Retief (Data and Spatial Planning Manager) | Dale Wright (IBA Implementation Manager) | Dr Giselle Murison (Estuaries Conservation Manager)

Terrestrial Bird Conservation Programme Dr Hanneline Smit-Robinson (Programme Manager/Oppenheimer Fellow of Conservation) | Samantha Ralston-Paton (Birds & Renewable Energy Project Manager) | Robin Colyn (KEM-JV Fellow of Bird Conservation) | Sakhile Mthalane (Ingula Project Assistant) | Nndwa Muhali (Birds & Renewable Energy Intern) | Linda van den Heever (Vulture Project Manager) | Carina Coetzer (Ingula Project Manager) | Dr Melissa Whitecross (Threatened Species Project Manager, Raptors and Large Terrestrial Birds)

Seabird Conservation Programme Dr Ross Wanless (Programme Manager) | Andrea Angel (Albatross Task Force Leader) | Andrew de Blocq (Coastal Seabird Conser- vation Project Officer) | Christina Hagen (Pamela Isdell Fellow of Penguin Conservation) | Reason Nyengera (Albatross Task Force Instructor) | Makhudu Masotla (Intern) | Dr Taryn Morris (–July 2018) (Coastal Seabird Conservation Project Manager) | Nini van der Merwe (International Liaison and Communications Officer) | Reginah Chari (Cleaner)

Avitourism & Special Projects Programme Martin Taylor (Programme Manager) | Ian Owtram (–May 2018) (Bird Guide Training Project Manager) | Learnership Candidates (Bird Guides): Eddy Khosa, Prisca Mashamaite, Lungile Mteyane, Admire Ndamane, Khotso Snymes

Policy & Advocacy Programme Candice Stevens (Programme Manager) | Jonathan Booth (Advocacy Officer)

Membership Programme Shireen Gould (Programme Manager) | Wendy Dittrich (June–Dec 2018) (Membership Administrator) | Bianca Hare (–May 2018) (Membership Administrator) | Janine Goosen (Subscriptions Manager & Office Administrator)

Events Programme Emma Askes (Programme Manager)

Wakkerstroom Tourism & Education Centre Kristi Garland (Centre Manager) | Lucky Ngwenya (Bird Guide)

36 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA This annual report is printed on Sappi GalerieArt™ silk 170g/m2. Manufactured at Sappi’s European mills, this coated paper is made from pulp bleached without the use of chlorine. The wood for this pulp is derived from sustainably managed forests and plantations. These mills are certified with ISO 9001 quality and ISO 14001 and EMAS environmental certification. Sappi GalerieArt™ is acid free and fully recyclable.

Printing: Burlington-Dataprint Design: Bryony van Wyk

Orange-breasted Sunbird albert froneman Copy editor: Leni Martin Birdlife South Africa Isdell House, 17 Hume Road, Dunkeld West, Johannesburg 2196 Gauteng, South Africa Private Bag X16, Pinegowrie, 2123 Gauteng, South Africa Telephone: +27 (0) 11 789 1122 Fax: +27 (0) 11 789 5188 Email: [email protected] Website: www.birdlife.org.za

Nonprofit RegistrationN umber: 001-298 NPO Public Benefit Organisation Exemption Number: 930 004 518

Member of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Member of Proudly South African Member of the Water Institute of Southern Africa 38 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA